Be Careful What You Wish For
by dave-d
Summary: Just when the business with Leonard and Sophia was a thing of the past, a more drastic and dramatic change of the world took place. Everyone now lives in a world derived from D & D. Kaname learns how important words are, dealing with a conjured demon.


_Alright._

_And now for something totally different_

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'To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest With the Plough, November, 1785' is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in… you guessed it…1785. According to legend, Burns was ploughing in the fields and accidentally destroyed a mouse's nest, which it needed to survive the winter. In fact, Burns's brother claimed that the poet composed the poem while still holding his plough.

There is one verse that was very pertinent to our hero and heroine, and to everyone else in their world as well. In the original Scots it read:

_But, Mousie, thou art no thy-lane,__  
__In proving foresight may be vain;__  
__The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men__  
__Gang aft agley,__  
__An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,__  
__For promis'd joy!_

Translated into English for those who want things simple and pasteurized, it reads:

_But Mouse, you are not alone,__  
__In proving foresight may be vain:__  
__The best laid schemes of mice and men__  
__Go often askew,__  
__And leave us nothing but grief and pain,__  
__For promised joy!_

For Kaname Chidori and Sousuke Sagara, their long ordeal over, the world should have been a delicious grape, ready for the plucking. It should have been their oyster. The freaking world owed it to them! That iconic kiss heard around the world should have been the first step in their life together.

_**Right?**_

To digress, a brief history of the world is in order. Not our world, but the one that it changed into. As Kaname, Tessa, and others could tell you, all of the Whispered were born with their ability, and they all were born within the same 3 minute span on December 24, in 1981 according to some, and 1984 to others. On that day, an experiment in a secret underground Russian city known as Yamsk11 was activated. At the heart of the advanced equipment was the first, primitive TAROS connected with multiple dolphin brains in containers. At the center of the events that followed was a Russian girl by the name of Sophia Barova.

The machine malfunctioned. Sophia died. Two separate types of waves blanketed the Earth on that day. The first type were Iota waves, which were powerful in intensity, but also dissipated quickly. These waves affected many newborns, those that became Whispered. The second type were Tau waves, which lingered seemingly endlessly. Sophia's consciousness got locked into the second type of wave when she expired.

Tau waves exist on all planes of existence and outside of time. It is through these waves that Sophia was able to send her consciousness into the future to gain the technology that she then shared with the Whispered. Of note, tau waves are responsible for Whispered pilots in a TAROS-equipped AS being better than most normal folks, because their entire life had already been spent resonating with those waves. A more shocking truth is that the use of Tau waves allows a few Whispered some ability to glean the future, such as when Leonard was able to predict the solar flares that would lead to catastrophic communications errors, allowing Amalgam the chance to strike down Mithril worldwide in a single blow.

Sophia's consciousness was split into pieces, which is why different Whispered get different sets of specialties, and why it's dangerous and difficult for them to attempt to get more Black Technology information than they start with. She was not a Whispered, but rather the one doing the whispering. A Whisperer, if you like. Sophia claimed that she can reset history by using TARTAROS, the Telechrono Alteration Reactor Transfer and Response Omni-Sphere. She was not the only one wanting to change the future of course. Loanard and Lt. Commander Kalinin had their own goals in mind, if you recall.

Kaname linked with Sophia. Sophia took over Kaname's consciousness. Sophia took much of Kaname into herself and tricked herself into thinking she actually was Kaname. Kaname's consciousness hid in an attempt to preserve itself. Later that original part of Kaname came out, had a conversation with Sophia, refused to change the world, and caused Sophia to back off. After that, Tessa said that the Whispers were over. Kaname said that Sophia still lived in her, a quiet border at least so far. It's unclear if Kaname meant that literally or figuratively. It's entirely possible that Sophia was still there… and that she could turn back on the Whispers at any time. But it was just as likely that Kaname was so affected by Sophia, and because their personalities had merged some, that she meant more precisely that it's the memory of Sophia living in her, albeit powerfully so. She told Sousuke that it sometimes seemed as if Sophia was truly there, watching, willing to live life through Kaname. Sophia's life had been terrible: she was horribly abused by her father, who was the head of Soviet experiments and who had volunteered her for the one that killed her.

_*Segue set in action*_

For Kaname Chidori and Sousuke Sagara, their long ordeal over, the world should have been a delicious grape, ready for the plucking. That iconic kiss heard around the world should have been the first step in their life together. It should have been their champagne and caviar. The freaking world was a total asshole! Why? Because sometimes there is a second shoe, just waiting to fall. If the Soviets were up to something secretive and beyond the understanding of most men, who could really expect that the Americans weren't working on something of their own. And, talk about 'turn about is fair play.' The American atomic bomb didn't remain the sole property of the U S of A. Just the same, the original concept behind the TARTAROS was smuggled out by a Russian Jewish scientist at the beginning of the project.

_There was a key difference in the mix, of course._

The Americans were not looking to manipulate time and see into the future. Their goal was to manipulate reality, hence the nomenclature RARTAROC, from Reality Alteration Reactor Transfer and Response Omni-cube. When their experiment went awry, it affected everyone, no matter their age or location, transforming the world into an image in the mind of Gary Gygax, The entire world, not just the people.

Gygax was born in Chicago, the son of Almina Emelie Posey and Swiss immigrant and former Chicago Symphony Orchestra violinist Ernst Gygax. The boy was named Ernest after his father, but he was commonly known as Gary, the middle name given to him by his mother after the actor Gary Cooper. The family lived on Kenmore Avenue, close enough to Wrigley Field that he could hear the roar of the crowds watching the Chicago Cubs play. At age 7, he became a member of a small group of friends who called themselves the 'Kenmore Pirates'. In 1946, after the Kenmore Pirates were involved in a fracas with another gang of boys, his father decided to move the family to Posey's family home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where Posey's family had settled in the early 19th century,

By coincidence, the RARTAROC had been built in a secret base, deep beneath the surface of Geneva Lake, a body of freshwater in Walworth County, nestled in southeastern Wisconsin.. By an even more significant coincidence, Gary Gygax and friends had been sailing above the base when the machine ran amok. Driven by alpha and omega waves, the world was reshaped along the lines of Dungeons & Dragons, the role-playing game that Gary had co-created.

But, unlike in the game, everyone did not have a chance to choose their character and roll for their attributes. They did not have the opportunity to think about how they wanted to participate in the real _D&D_ game, forming a framework for the kinds of things that they might want their character to do or what they wanted their in-game personality to be. Did they want to be the type who would lay low until an opportunity presented itself? Did they want to be constantly ingratiating yourself with fellow players or with characters and NPCs in the game? Did they want to be obsessive about growing stronger? Did they want to be charismatic enough to collect a cult? Did they want to micromanage everything down to the tiniest detail? Did they want to stay close to their true nature, or step out into emotions unknown? Did they want to become an evil doppelganger of their true self?

_None of that mattered. No one had any choice in the matter._

Things weren't entirely random, however. There are twelve basic classes in some editions of _D&D_: barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, warlock and wizard. Most people in the world found themselves in a class that favored one of their personal attributes such as strength, wisdom, or charisma. Others were reassigned by what they did, as the sole defining force, or an adjunct to other deciding factors.

Of note, Sousuke Sagara became a Fighter, a master of martial combat, skilled with a variety of weapons and armor. He could just as easily have become a Barbarian, a fierce warrior of primitive background who can enter a battle rage. Kaname Chidori became a Wizard, a scholarly magic-user capable of manipulating the structures of reality. W**i**zards, in role-playing, are for players who enjoy appearing intelligent… not necessarily _being_ intelligent… piecing together repertoires of spells, and offering knowledge on a variety of topics. Teletha Testarossa became a Sorceress, a spellcaster who draws on inherent magic from a gift or bloodline. In the gaming community, Sorcerers are for people who may want to act impulsively, wield enormous power, weave an intricate backstory and customize their character's personality based off a list of spells. Sophia became a powerful and mysterious Entity, who was very unhappy that Kaname had not become a Warlock, a wielder of magic that is derived from a bargain with an extraplanar entity such as herself.

For those with a need for details, Melissa Mao became a Rogue. Commander Mardukas became a Ranger. Lt. Commander Kalinin became a Fighter. Belfangan Clouseau became a Monk. Kurz Weber had yet to be found. The Jindai gang were not exempt, naturally. Shinji became a Cleric. Kyouko became a Bard. Ono-D shocked himself by becoming a Paladin. Maya, Mizuki, Shiori, and the others became townspeople, merchants, and the like, since the World Game needed a majority of the people to populate the background of the world.

_Everyone played some role or another, to make everything work._

It was against that background… mixed with everything that the boys and girls and men and women remembered from their past existence… that things played out. Kaname, Sousuke, and their friends were enrolled at a Japanese high school that was a cross between Hogwart's , King Arthur's Court, and every fantasy-based manga and anime known to mankind. Tessa and compatriots were members of the now even more aptly name Mithril, the equivalent of the do-gooders they had been in their original dimension. Which meant, as one might expect, there also was an Amalgam, just as there were kingdoms across the globe named for the countries of the original world. The politics were similar. It was only the means and methods that had changed.

Cutting to the chase, Kaname wanted Sousuke. Tessa wanted Sousuke. Sousuke was very fond of Tessa, but was leaning towards Kaname. Moreover, Tessa viewed Sousuke as a prize that she and Kaname were vying for… Kaname viewed Tessa as a homewrecker looking to steal Sousuke away from her… and Sousuke was the grain caught between their mill-wheels. The less said about Leonard Testarossa, the better.

The key facts that set Kaname's current Pachinko ball of Fate in motion were these: Word had reached her that Tessa was buying up every love potion that she could get her scheming little hands on. And, she had been training under different Mithril teachers to become adept at the spell 'Dominate Person'.

The 'Philter of Love' the Captain was cornering the market on was very powerful, if short-lived. When the person drinking that potion saw a creature within 10 minutes after drinking it, he or she become Charmed by that creature for 1 hour. If the creature is of a species and gender that the imbiber is normally attracted to, the imbiber would regard it as his or her true love while Charmed. This potion is rose-hued, effervescent liquid that contains one easy-to-miss bubble shaped like a heart. Something like that could be poured into a drink, without alerting the drinker.

'Dominate Person' allows the spellcaster to attempt to beguile a humanoid that he or she can see within range. While the target is charmed, the caster has a telepathic link with it as long as the two of them are on the same plane of existence. One can use this telepathic link to issue commands to the creature while he, she, or it is conscious, during which time the target does its best to obey. One can specify a simple and general course of action, such as 'Attack that creature,' 'Run over there,' or 'Fetch that object'. One can take total and precise control of the target. Until the end of the spell, the creature takes only the actions the caster chooses, and doesn't do anything that the caster won't allow it to do. So, a command of 'love me' would cause love for a limited time. In stark contrast, a command of 'make love to me' could have repercussions that would last a lifetime and beyond.

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"I believe I know what to do," Kaname told herself, brushing her long blue locks while staring at herself in a tall and ornate mirror, hand made by elven and dwarven craftsmen many centuries in the past. That was the third time in two days that she had made the claim.

_There was serious magic afoot… or soon would be._

She was neither chaotic nor evil, so she would not directly attack Tessa. Such efforts might prove difficult, in any case, since when on leave, Tessa routinely took up residence in Lady Chapel, which was now an eldritch citadel, and not a sealed area of the TDD-1 that held a TAROS device. The ship in question appeared very similar to the way it had before, except it was a former dwarven wonder, not an abandoned Soviet submarine that was procured and rebuilt with Tessa's Whispered knowledge. There was no Dana, the powerful A.I. at the heart and mind of the submersible. Instead, there was Dana, a powerful Elemental being that powered the craft, and acted as Tessa's protector when it took up residence in the enormous castle on Melida island.

"I would never stoop so low like… _her."_ 'Her' was of course Tessa. As for stooping low, it was a matter of thought versus deed. A small alcove in Kaname's sanctum had shelves lined by love potions. He trusty school text on spells had one spell in particular highlighted with yellow marker: you guess correct, Dominate Person. Feverish and consumed by her nascent passions, she'd searched out many methods, and had charged forward before her mind caught up with her heart, and her better judgement took over and let her fears and desires go duke it out somewhere off stage.

Throwing her silken robe around her, enjoying the way that light reflected off tiny interlaced threads of silver and gold, she straightened its collar and brushed off a few enormous hairs.

_Chitter chitter chrrr chrrr chrrr_

Kanamne smiled fondly looking across her large laboratory, watching as a giant hamster rolled this way and that in a gigantic hamster ball. Hearing a splashing sound, she walked over to a covered bucket and grabbed a handful of small fish. She tossed them into a mid-size pool filled with sparling water, situated behind the headboard of her bed. Her figurative alarm clock, a rather cute penguin, swam their happily.

'**Awk awk!"** The bird vocalized.

"_Awk_ to you, too." Kaname made a face. She truly hated the smell of fish.

"Hmmm," Kaname paused again, after rinsing off her hands in a lovely alabaster sink. "I guess I should take care of this first." She walked into her sumptuous rune-painted bathroom… opened an ornate mirror-faced cabinet door… and asked a small sprite inside to select one of many potions stored within. It was the one which dealt with her early morning circulatory issues. Walking out of the bathroom, she took a moment to hug her life-size Bonta-Kun doll, after quaffing down the liquid and tossing the bottle into a large recycle barrel.

_The young wizard lived alone, in regards to other humans._

Her father was a high constable at the United Domains fortress in New York City, USA. Her younger sister, a Warlock, lived with their Cleric sire. Her mother, a Sorceress, had died from the side effects of a spell gone horribly wrong. She hated that truth. But, it was better than Cancer!

Kaname giggled, thinking silly thoughts. Placing a finger in her mouth to moisten it, she held it up and said "It feels like a fine morning to perform a big spell." It was an opportune one, at the very least. She needed something to thwart any diabolical plans that Tessa might have for Sousuke. And, there were a few spells that she needed to master, so she could move on to the next level. This would be one of them. "I've got the V… the S… and the M."

A spell's components are the physical requirements you must meet in order to cast it. Each spell's description indicates whether it requires verbal (V), somatic (S), or material (M) components. If a caster can't provide one or more of a spell's components, he or she will be unable to cast the spell.

As for the _Verbal_, most spells require the chanting of mystic words. The words themselves aren't the source of the spell's power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the Threads of magic in motion. Thus, a character who is gagged or in an area of silence, such as one created by the silence spell, can't cast a spell with a verbal component.

Regarding the _Somatic_, spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of finger motions. If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures.

Last and not least, there's the _Material._ Casting some spells requires particular objects, If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components … or to hold a spellcasting focus… but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components. For the spell in question, the main material had to be a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours. But, since it had been an evil humanoid in this instance, and not even human, it had been easier and cheaper to source, and should not affect Kanme's conscience one tiny iota.

"Okay, let's go over the basics!" Kaname walked over to the area she used for her studies and her spellwork. She gathered the items that she needed, and neatly brushed the dust off of some them, wanting to be perfect in her actions. It helped to speak things aloud… and to reiterate them whenever she worked… as the basics would always be tested on practicals and midterms, while more advanced matters would be covered on finals. "A spell is a discrete magical effect, a single shaping of the magical energies that suffuse the multiverse into a specific, limited expression. In casting a spell, a character carefully plucks at the invisible strands of raw magic suffusing the world, pins them in place in a particular pattern, sets them vibrating in a specific way, and then releases them to unleash the desired effect… in most cases, all in the span of seconds."

Kaname flipped open her large grimoire and again read the specifics on the spell she was about to cast. "Spells can be versatile tools, weapons, or protective wards. They can deal damage or undo it, impose or remove conditions, drain life energy away, and restore life to the dead." Kaname shivered chasing away an evil thought. She pictured a gravestone with her rival's name on it. "Uncounted thousands of spells have been created over the course of the multiverse's history, and many of them are long forgotten. Some might yet lie recorded in crumbling spellbooks hidden in ancient ruins or trapped in the minds of dead gods. Or they might someday be reinvented by a character who has amassed enough power and wisdom to do so." She blew hard, the wind from her mouth blowing away a foolhardy spider that began walking across the page of her ancient text. "Every spell has a level from 0 to 9. A spell's level is a general indicator of how powerful it is, with the lowly…but still impressive… 'magic missile' at 1st level and the earth-shaking 'wish' at 9th level. Cantrips… simple but powerful spells that characters can cast almost by rote… are level 0. The higher a spell's level, the higher level a spellcaster must be to use that spell."

The are an exception to that last fact. Being the equivalent to a Class Rep… and also being equivalent to a High School Student Council Vice President… she could perform spells far above her current level. That was especially significant, since Spell level and character level don't correspond directly. Typically, for example, a character has to be at least 17th level, not 9th level, to cast a 9th-level spell. The spell she was about to attempt started at Level 3. She herself was level 2 without her special add-ons.

"Before a spellcaster can use a spell, he or she must have the spell firmly fixed in mind, or must have access to the spell in a magic item." Kaname took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. She had to focus on the spell, not on the reason behind the spell choice. She pictured Sousuke's face and smiled briefly before remembering something the big oaf had done the day before, ruing her favorite school robe with that bloody big Claymore of his… the sword, not the explosive device. She wiped his image away as if he were smoke, moving her mental halisen in broad strong strokes. "Members of a few classes, including bards and sorcerers, have a limited list of spells they know that are always fixed in mind. The same thing is true of many magic-using monsters. Other spellcasters, such as clerics and wizards, undergo a process of preparing spells. This process varies for different classes." She continued with her preparations.

She paid little heed to the contents of her room. The bubbling beakers… the smoking tapers… the gurgling cauldron… the astrolabe and massive hanging model of the cosmos… it was as if they were not there, with their odd collections of sights, sounds, and smells. She had neatly put away most of the components she had been working with earlier, making good progress in the construction of a staff that was due the next week. She left the small tree growing next to her curio filled with arcane texts and unfathomable objects where it stood, as that would not fit neatly onto a shelf or inside one of her small jewel-crusted boxes.

"Regardless of how many spells a caster knows or prepares, he or she can cast only a limited number of spells before resting." Kaname yawned. It was Saturday. She could rest a good bit after this spell, before Monday classes rolled around. "Manipulating the fabric of magic and channeling its energy into even a simple spell is physically and mentally taxing, and higher- level spells are even more so. Thus, each spellcasting class's training manuals… except that of the warlock… include tables showing how many spell slots of each spell level a character can use at each character level." Again, being VP and Class Rep gave her higher allowances. So did being Called, the current world's version of Whispered. She could at times gain special insights and magical strength from the spirit of the Great Gygax, whose eternal and bodiless consciousness surfed this way and that across the vast sea of Ether. Unfortunately, dear Tessa was Called too, in addition to being called many things by the beautiful blue-haired girl. "When a character casts a spell, he or she expends a slot of that spell's level or higher, effectively 'filling' a slot with the spell. Finishing a long rest restores any expended spell slots." She yawned again, and briefly considered using a potion to stop the yawning. No. Not another one so soon after the other. She was not a potion junkie. First, she was a health nut. Second, potions took a lot of effort to make, or a good deal of lucre to purchase. "Some characters and monsters have special abilities that let them cast spells without using spell slots. For example, a monk who follows the Way of the Four Elements… a warlock who chooses certain eldritch invocations… and a pit fiend from the Nine Hells can all cast spells in such a way."

Kaname went down her mental checklist, details fresh in her mind since she had recently crushed a Wizarding test. She talked to herself about casting spells while wearing armor… about cantrips… and about rituals… before going over spell-casting 101.

"To cast a spell as a ritual, a spellcaster must have a feature that grants the ability to do so." Kaname laced her fingers together, stretched out her arms, and cracked her fingers. She shivered when a cold dark breeze snuck out from one cupboard… whipped past her… before passing into a large cabinet, leaving spinning little tornados of dust in its wake. Kaname had been far too busy with her studies to worry about such mundane things as brooms and mops. She was not about to clean up with magic. The Disney film 'The Sorcerer's Apprenctice' existed in this dimension too, but was a cautionary tale, not simply entertainment. "The cleric and the druid, for example, have such a feature. The caster must also have the spell prepared or on his or her list of spells known, unless the character's ritual feature specifies otherwise, as the wizard's does." She preened for a moment, feeling very foolish when she caught herself in the act.

_Kaname's stomach rumbled._

"**Geez!"** She shook her head. The tall pointed cap she wore leaned to one side as a result, seeing that the hair pins she had so carefully placed slid partially free. When it rains it pours. She had to adjust her headwear, because she was very fastidious. She had to address her hungry belly, because she did not want to lose concentration during her spellcasting. After nibbling on a flaky scone slathered with elderberry jam, and sipping on a delightful small cup of mana tea, she stepped right back in where she had left off. She finished some chalk drawings that she had started the night before. She dropped colorful liquids on equally colorful crystals, and put on a pair of dark and dreary looking gloves that could have doubled for charbroiled oven mitts.

"When a character casts any spell, the same basic rules are followed, regardless of the character's class or the spell's effects." Kaname cringed when she heard a collision. The hamster ball had struck the archway, which fortunately was much smaller than the ball. Her furry and friendly familiar felt a need to be closer to her now. More spiders dropped from cracks between the ceiling stones, which meant more blowing, until the young wizard felt somewhat dizzy and short of breath. "**Stupid bugs!** _Oooo-ooo-oo-o."_ Deep breath in. Long breath out. Calm restored. Ready to go again. "Most spells require a single action to cast, but some spells require a bonus action, a reaction, or much more time to cast. It can take minutes to cast a spell, or it can take hours." Her chosen spell would take nearly an hour to cast. She reminded herself: "You must maintain your concentration while you do so. If your concentration is broken, the spell fails, but you don't expend a spell slot. If you want to try casting the spell again, you must start over." She couldn't fail! The ingredients had been difficult source in the time frame she bought them in, and would not be available to her again before school resumed. "A spell's duration is the length of time the spell persists. A duration can be expressed in minutes, hours, or even years. Some spells specify that their effects last until the spells are dispelled or destroyed."

Now, it was time for the most important… and most disgusting and messy… part of the procedure. "I'm lucky I don't have to use my own." She did not keep a personal Blood Bank. Instead, she uncapped a large flask and began pouring a dark red fluid on the floor, making a large circle around her work bench. It was goat's blood. "It will be a bitch to clean up… but it will keep me safe and sound."

_Kaname closed her eyes. She muttered a quick prayer to The Gygax._

It was time for the heavy lifting. The worlds within the D&D multiverse are magical places. All existence is suffused with magical power, and potential energy lies untapped in every rock, stream, and living creature, and even in the air itself. Raw magic is the stuff of creation, the mute and mindless will of existence, permeating every bit of matter and present in every manifestation of energy throughout the multiverse. Mortals can't directly shape this raw magic. Instead, they make use of a fabric of magic, a kind of interface between the will of a spellcaster and the stuff of raw magic.

"Help me goddess Mystra," Kaname called out, sounding part stolid and part plaintive. The spellcasters of the Forgotten Dimension call the fabric the Weave and recognize its essence as the goddess Mystra; but, casters have varied ways of naming and visualizing this interface. By any name, without the Weave, raw magic is locked away and inaccessible; the most powerful arch-mage can't light a candle with magic in an area where the Weave has been torn. But surrounded by the Weave, a spellcaster can shape lightning to blast foes, transport hundreds of miles in the blink of an eye, or even reverse death itself. "As I once again humbly perform arcane magic." That was the type of magic fueling the spells of wizards, warlocks, sorcerers, and bards. "I work the Weave as I have been taught. I pluck at the strands of the Weave to create my desired effect. I purposely avoid divine magic." The spells of clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers fall in that latter category, where a spellcasters' access to the Weave is mediated by divine power… gods… the divine forces of nature… or the sacred weight of a paladin's oath. "Please help the Threads intertwine and twist successfully so that I can shape the Weave." This spell did not require her to see the Weave, or shape the Weave, as some others did. Her magic would flow through the Weave, not around it, so her actions now were critical.

Academies of magic group spells into eight categories called 'schools of magic'. Scholars, particularly wizards, apply these categories to all spells, believing that all magic functions in essentially the same way, whether it derives from rigorous study or is bestowed by a deity. The schools of magic help describe spells; they have no rules of their own, although some rules refer to the schools. **Abjuration** spells are protective in nature, though some of them have aggressive uses. They create magical barriers, negate harmful effects, harm trespassers, or banish creatures to other planes of existence. **Conjuration** spells involve the transportation of objects and creatures from one location to another. Some spells summon creatures or objects to the caster's side, whereas others allow the caster to teleport to another location. Some conjurations create objects or effects out of nothing. **Divination** spells reveal information, whether in the form of secrets long forgotten, glimpses of the future, the locations of hidden things, the truth behind illusions, or visions of distant people or places. **Enchantment** spells affect the minds of others, influencing or controlling their behavior. Such spells can make enemies see the caster as a friend, force creatures to take a course of action, or even control another creature like a puppet. **Evocation** spells manipulate magical energy to produce a desired effect. Some call up blasts of fire or lightning. Others channel positive energy to heal wounds. **Illusion** spells deceive the senses or minds of others. They cause people to see things that are not there, to miss things that are there, to hear phantom noises, or to remember things that never happened. Some illusions create phantom images that any creature can see, but the most insidious illusions plant an image directly in the mind of a creature. **Necromancy** spells manipulate the energies of life and death. Such spells can grant an extra reserve of life force, drain the life energy from another creature, create the undead, or even bring the dead back to the undead through the use of necromancy spells such as animate dead is not a good act, and only evil casters use such spells frequently. **Transmutation** spells change the properties of a creature, object, or environment. They might turn an enemy into a harmless creature, bolster the strength of an ally, make an object move at the caster's command, or enhance a creature's innate healing abilities to rapidly recover from injury.

Kaname had chosen to work a conjuration. She had chosen 'Summon Lesser Demon.' She had originally planned something more imaginative; but, had decided against it. It would have been fun to cast the _'__conjure woodland beings' _spell and summon a bunch of pixies…have the pixies use '_polymorph'_ to turn her classmates into some beefy, high-damage beasts such as giant apes or Tyrannosaurus Rexes… and then send those beasts to wreck havoc on Tessa, who happened to be headed to the School as a part-time transfer student, arriving in Tokyo any hour now. But, that method would be gauche, and was frowned upon nowadays, after having been overused at some point in the past.

Her chosen method was a more hazardous roll of the dice, so to speak. There was a phrase engraved in her opaline mantle… on the craggy basalt front of the School… and many places throughout society: 'the DM has the creatures' statistics'. That meant that the DM was free to bring out whatever creature was appropriate to the summoning… or his or her personal DM schemes and machinations. Not only does the DM have the ability to choose any creature of the intended type and challenge rating, they also can make something up. The DM is the source of the statistics, after all, and not the Monster Manual that every student was given upon enrolling. DMD. Dungeon Mastyer Discretion. It was a wonderful thought, and a most frightening one. Who were the DMs? Who had they once been? What were their goals? Did they control the goddess she prayed to, or was it the other way around? Did The Gygax have any hold on them?

The type of creature that she would attempt to summon would be limited to one of the tanar'ri, a race of numerous demons originally created by the obyriths as slaves. The tanar'ri eventually revolted against the obyriths, killing most of them, and taking over as the dominant race of demons in the Abyss. Most known demon lords are tanar'ri, with a small number of exceptions. The tanar'ri are essentially 'classic' demons; reflections of cruelty, evil and sin. Most commonly they have a basic humanoid form. There are many known types of tanar'ri, including: adaru, alkilith, alu-fiend, anzu, armanite, arrow demon, babau, balor, barlgura, bulezau, cambion, cerebrilith, chasme, dretch, gadacro, glabrezu, goristro, hezrou, incubus, jarilith, jovoc, kastighur, kelvezu, klurichir, mane, marilith, maurezhi, molydeus, myrmyxicus, nabassu, nalfeshnee, orlath, palrethee, rutterkin, skurchur, solamith, sorrowsworn, turagathshnee, uridezu, vathugu, vrock, and yochlol.

Even among demons there are those that disgust and terrify; the alkilith is one of these. A shapeless horror used by demon lords for missions in regions most other demons would hesitate to venture into, the alkilith is despised and feared by most other demons. Alkiliths thrive in the foulest and most inhospitable places in the Abyss. They are pollution and corruption made sentient and hatefully alive. Many alkiliths serve the demon lord Juiblex. Kaname considered chanting 'alkalith' at one point, hoping to bring about something powerful and difficult to subvert. Deep down inside, she knew better. She also thought about wishing for an armanite, a member of the heavy cavalry of the army of The Abyss. They resemble fiendish centaurs covered by a full plate armor. They are fierce enemies in battle and their charges are deeply feared. But, they needed too much room, and would be quite a chore for the School janitor to clean up after. She grinned before admonishing herself, wondering if Tessa would pee herself if she were faced with a myrmyxicus, a massive, eel-like monstrosity that rules the aquatic areas of the Abyss.

No. She knew what made the most sense, and what seemed most symbolic, given Sousuke's history and very nature.

"Rutterkin," she mumbled during the quiet portions of the spell, during which many of the reagents did their thing, and the Weave was responding to her efforts without further input verbal or somatic input. "Rutterkin… rutterkin… rutterkin… rutterkin… rutterkin… rutterkin." She closed her eyes tightly… clasped her hands together, and practically prayed. "Please… o, please… a rutterkin." Rutterkin are deformed demons created by the union of manes. Disdained by other demons, they serve as infantry in the armies of the Abyss. When not on active service, they usually wander in groups on the infinite layers of the Abyss, bullying any weaker creatures they encounter.

Eventually, Kaname had done all that she could do, and felt that she had done an exemplary job. She was certain that any of her instructors witnessing her work, particularly noting her drive and her attention to details, would be very proud of her.

She was also certain that a certain platinum-haired girl was going to have a singularly unique welcoming party at School this time around.

She couldn't wait for Monday morning.

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The process was by no means over.

No. In some ways, it was just beginning. It was one thing to summon a demon. It was altogether something else to command it.

Words matter. Phrasing is of monumental importance. Knowing the proclivities of the summoned creature is a must. The true danger was not performing the spell and failing. There was little backlash there. The true peril came with the demon, and what it could do to the caster, or to the ones whose path it crosses in the performance of its assigned task.

The circle of blood kept the demon from approaching Kaname. The large cloud pf foggy air that filled the chamber made the identity of the creature unknown. By all accounts, a prudent wizard would wait until the cloud dissipated, and take full stock of the situation. Meticulous in her spellcasting, the mercurial maiden was so pleased with her success, that she trampled all over one of the Golden Rules.

"What matters what kind of creature it is," Kaname said glibly and unwisely. "Any type will serve, and any type will do." She tapped at one cheek with a finger, large gloves long since set aside. "I have to decide on the wording."

_That would do it!_

"You," Kaname called out in a sonorous tone. "Summoned one. I, Kaname Chidolri, command you as follows: Your task is a simple one. Do whatever necessary to keep the sorceress Teletha Testarossa from stealing the virginity of the soldier Sgt. Sousuke Sagara."

There was the sound of one of her large stained glass windows as opening. The fog swirled about the room, dissipated by the air entering her room, bringing with it the smells and residues of spells that other students had cast that morning of the previous day. Kaname frowned when she caught a whiff of a particularly sulfurous odor.

"I hope-" Kaname shook her head and shook away any concern. Her face was still quite pink and quite warm. Her wording had been quite specific, and broached a subject she usually addressed deep in her dreams. Then again, she had drawn influence from her greatest fear. There was nothing that Tessa could force Sousuke to do against his will for any concerted length of time. But there were things important to Kaname that the other girl could mess with, knocking some of the shine off of things that were hopefully destined in her future.

She headed for the shower. She stunk of ingredients and sweat. Her whole robe felt as if she had walked through a carwash, or had accidentally activated the magical ceiling sprinklers.

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Well dressed and well-coiffed, Kaname picked up her satchel and her wand, and headed off for Jindai. She couldn't wait to see the look on Tessa's face. That would be priceless.

She couldn't wait to see Sousuke again. There would be a slight delay, it seemed.

There was a large crowd gathered at the entrance to the School.

As one might expect, it was well-wishers and besotted fools making up the rabble, as numerous students, boys and girls alike, hovered about, wanting to speak with Tessa, or at least get a glimpse of her.

"Pardon me," Kaname called out multiple times. When that had no effect, she put her fingers in her mouth and whistled.

_Sweeeeeeeeee-eeeeeeeee-eeeeeeee-eeeeeee-eeeeee-eeeee-eeee-eee-ee-e_

"PARDON ME!" This time Kaname's shout had everyone going silent. "No blocking entrance to the school." She didn't say 'And the trash should be deposited out back, not kept out front.'

_She did think that, though._

"Oh my," a familiar voice said pleasantly, the pleasantness concealing a very catty undercurrent. "If it isn't my dear dearer and dearest friend, Kaname." Tessa stood alone, as the student body parted like the Red Sea did for Moses at God's command. "I've come for another visit."

"Yes," Kaname said, equally pleasant. "I _see_ that you have. And, you brought a large bag with you. As Class Rep, I will need to check it's contents." That would allow her to dump out… confiscate… or otherwise hamper or hinder any plan or plot she might discover.

"There's no need," _Eri_ Kagurazaka told Kaname, holding her Sorcerer' cap tight to her head during a strong gust of wind, one resulting from a team of firefighters using an Earth Elemental and Water Spirit to fight a fire a few city blocks away from the School. "I've already checked her bag. She's good to go."

"I'll frisk her," an overly hormonal boy called out, all in good school spirit of course. He screamed and lost interest, when someone cast a spell that set his sandals on fire. The only one whose hands had moved were Eri's. But, numerous students had their wands and rods out, or were preparing to drink a potion or read from a scroll.

"No no no," Tessa said, her grin causing numerous people to swoon. "What could someone like me bring to school that was bad, anyway. I'm here to learn, _not_ to cause trouble." She gave Kaname a jaunty wink that almost sent the other girl soaring skyward like a bottle rocket. She knew it painted a big red target on her. But she also realized that Kaname would place that imaginary marker on her automatically, no matter what she did or didn't do.

"Nothing like love potions," Kaname said between clenched teeth. "Or Dominate Person spell materials."

"Of _course_ not," Eri said, not having really searched Tessa's bag. She trusted the exemplary young sorceress without the slightest hesitation. "Those types of things are prohibited for personal use, outside of advanced classes."

"I don't see Sgt. Sagara," Tessa said then. "I was certain that… my father… would have arranged for his services as my guard." She smiled. He would be the only guard this time around. Melissa had been sent off to steal important secrets from Amalgam sympathizers, sycophants, and stooges.

"I would just as well _**not**_ see Sousuke Sagara," Eri huffed, echoed by most of the crowd. "That boy has destroyed more of the magical students' works and rituals than a hoard of orcs and a flight of dragons combined." The way she clenched her staff made it quite clear what she wished she could do with it: strike the unruly soldier into the ground, like a hammer driving a nail into hard wood. It would be hard on the hammer, and harder on the wood, but hardest on the nail.

"He's here to guard _me,"_ Kaname said under her breath. Out loud she said: "I'd better go find him. I loaned him some notebooks from non-magical and non-martial classes." Sousuke was quite bad at Classical History in this plane of existence too.

"Then I will just follow _you,"_ Tessa said, trying to get through the front of the School before Kaname did. They both ended up wedged in the entry door, flailing their limbs and making frantic and frightening noises. Numerous small furry and scaly magical creatures scurried away, or apported in rainbow puffs of smoke or sparkling streamers of light.

The competition continued in the hallway, at least for a second or two. Clumsy as usual, Tessa tripped or toppled over a number of times, while Kaname sped ahead. She caught up time and time again, as the other Called girl stopped to ask students if they had seen the boy in question, the crux of their competitive quest.

"Sagara?" One pimple-faced Druid said. "Yeh. I saw him. He went into the Infirmary."

"**Thanks!"** Kaname said, sprinting for that destination, not even stopping to think what might be wrong with the young mercenary. Having cast a sure-footed spell, Tessa arrived at the door just a millisecond after Kaname did. She was standing there when Kaname kicked the door open in anticipation.

Just wait until Tessa got a load of the demon guarding Sousjke! She felt more than a bit expectant. How successful had she been? Just what had she summoned to this plane?

"Ohhhh ohhhh… _ooooo ooooo_… **ahhh ahhhhh ahhhhhhh… _oooooooooooooooooo."_**

The moaning was a sensual thing, just to hear. That sound was accompanied by a wild and pungent odor, like a cross between pure sex and stale potpourri.

"I-" That Was Sousuke's voice. "I-… i-… i-… it…." He sounded as if he had caught sight of the two girls, but was in no state to care at the moment. His attention shifted elsewhere. "_H-_… _H-_… _hang in there, little soldier_…." His eyes rolled back in his head. "**O**… **gods please forgive** **me**…."

The summoned demon was a blue-haired beauty, only partially wearing a school nurse's uniform, embroidered with the initials 'KC.'. Her hips moved this way and that expertly, as she mounted the charmed soldier.

Kaname and Tessa were still frozen, as if someone had encased them in ice.

"I have performed my duty," the demon said, after ceasing her actions. She folded up her large bat-like wings... picked up her well worn whip... and disappeared in a large cloud of smoke and a dusting of fiery embers.

There was no way that Tessa could take anything that was no longer there, even if it had been her plan in any way shape or form.

"I'll still respect you in the morning," Sousuke sighed, obviously as far out of it as he could possibly be.

"-" Kaname and Tessa might as well have been fossilized.

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**AFTERWORD****:**

Be careful what you wish for, indeed.

There are three things to consider about this short tale. First, the summoned demon was a succubus. On their own terms, without any external coercion, succubi want to lay claim to their victim's soul, getting them to corrupt the soul by giving in to the deadly sin of lust. Their day at work goes something like this:

*The succubus chooses a target, spying on him from the Ethereal Plane.

*Having chosen a target, it comes up with a marketing plan based on the target's fears and desires.

*Using Etherealness to travel to the target's location, then Stealth so that its presence won't be detected, it approaches the target then attempts to Charm the target. If it succeeds, bingo! If it fails, it uses Etherealness again and slips away, to try again the next night.

*During the day, it may transmit telepathic suggestions to its charmed victim, compelling him or her to behave in sinful ways. Or it may shape-change into a form alluring to the target, stroll right up to him or her, and use its feminine wiles to wheedle the target into acting against his or her better judgment. Or both.

*Now, if a victim is suddenly smitten with a gorgeous stranger who shows up out of nowhere, and that stranger starts encouraging that normally strait-laced victim to, say, engage in public displays of affection, steal coins from blind beggars' bowls, and such, the people who know the victim are going to figure out right quick that things aren't on the up and up. So, a succubus visiting a victim in the flesh will probably avoid being seen by others

*Once the succubus wormed its way into a victim's affinity, and once that victim has debauched himself to its satisfaction, it makes one final nighttime visit, during which it goes in for the kill with its Draining Kiss.

*Note that, since this does harm to the victim, he will be gifted a chance and escape by resisting Charm and each use of Draining Kiss. For this reason, ideally, the succubus will have established a level of trust with the victim that will cause him to accept the kiss _willingly_ at first, _without_ being Charmed. In other words, the succubus or incubus will use Draining Kiss first, _then_ attempt to Charm the target again, _then_…if it succeeds… use Draining Kiss a second time.

*If the re-Charm fails, or if the second Draining Kiss isn't enough to finish off the victim, the succubus has failed in its mission, because it's not likely ever to get a second chance to execute this combo. It then beats a hasty retreat back to the Ethereal Plane.

Second, the identity of the Dungeon Master overseeing this quick campaign was none other than Kurz Weber. He liked the new world order very much, thank you.

And finally, the one who was blamed for it all.. and was punished and persecuted in all physical and psychic means available to the two irate girls… was Sousuke Sagara. He hadn't conjured the demon. He hadn't chosen to fail his Charm saving throw, so to speak. And he couldn't help smiling when the curvaceous and transfixing filly had done the dirty deed.

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_Yes, a relatively long set up for a somewhat short punchline. But, hey, Conjuring takes time to create the desired result. And, well, the journey was just as much fun to write as the destination._

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Note: Large passages in this story were taken from AideDD. org and various official D&D books, either in their entirety or slightly reworked.


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